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Over the last couple of years I've been investigating my family history. It's been going quite well. As a result of internet research I now have 315 people in my family tree on www.genesreuninted.com and that's not counting quite a few of my closer relatives who I haven't put on in case they don't want me to. Although I've uncovered plenty of ancesters none of them seem to have done anything particularly interesting. It wasn't a suprise to find that I'm from humble stock. Like many Southern English people I come from a long line of agricultural labourers, market gardeners and people with a smattering of bricklayers, miners, smiths & railway workers thrown into the mix. I'd love to have my blood tested to find out where my roots are originally. I'm blonde, as is my father so I'm pretty sure we're not native Brits. The smart money is on France or Holland.
As a historian, I really enjoy watching 'Who do you think you are?' Obviously it's all set up and they wouldn't make an episode for someone whose family history was a dull as mine but I still think it's interesting. The Patsy Kensit episode even gave me some useful tips as some parts of my family lived in North East London during the 19th Century.
This evening I watched the Jerry Springer episode on iplayer. I knew it was going to be upsetting. Anything involving the Holocaust is bound to be. But I wasn't prepared for how much it would upset me. I know quite a lot about the Holocaust as I studied it at school and then read 'If This is a Man' by Primo Levi as a case study at uni*. However, each time I'm reminded of the scale of it I'm upset all over again. How is it possible to deal with having something like the Holocaust as part of your family history? In my ancestry there are deaths at war, babies dying of diseases which are now curable, my great-great grandmother was run over by a train and one of her sons died in a pit accident. Their deaths were tragic but they weren't caused by an unfeeling machine of destruction driven by greed and prejudice. Although I'm of English, Church of England heritage I do have a personal link with the Holocaust. In 1944 my maternal Grandfather was sent to Germany as part of the Allied Liberation Forces. He had been conscripted to the Royal Artillery early in WWII but was not considered fit to be sent abroad as he had flat feet. As a result his war was spent operating an anti aircraft gun in near Devon. After the war had ended he was sent to Germany to help undertake tasks such as searching people's houses for hidden weapons. My grandad was a gentle, kind, caring man with a gift for entertaining children. He must have hated every moment. At one point he was sent to a town near one of the Nazi extermination camps. We aren't sure which one and we don't know what he did there. All my Mum remembers him saying was that he could smell burnt flesh in the town but the townsfolk were in complete denial. He never spoke about it other than that. After the war he didn't request his medals.
Everyone's family has it's stories. At work we have an 18 year old student from Darfur. His father was killed in the fighting and his mother is missing. He came to the UK speaking no English and one year later spoke to Parliament about the plight of people living in Darfur. We need to remember that genocide is still taking place. Just because it is now happening to people who aren't in the same continent as us, don't share the same skin colour and aren't well off it doesn't mean we should make a stand against it.
Above all we should be thankful for what we have. As Jerry Springer said in the show, the most important thing is being part of a family. I don't think it matters whether it is a blood family or a Bridget Jones style 'urban family'. My family is wonderful and I love them dearly. When I look back at my ancestors I hope they were as content as I am.
* Which was distressing but more interesting than the history of the Ford motor company which some of my friends were forced to read for the same assignment.
As a historian, I really enjoy watching 'Who do you think you are?' Obviously it's all set up and they wouldn't make an episode for someone whose family history was a dull as mine but I still think it's interesting. The Patsy Kensit episode even gave me some useful tips as some parts of my family lived in North East London during the 19th Century.
This evening I watched the Jerry Springer episode on iplayer. I knew it was going to be upsetting. Anything involving the Holocaust is bound to be. But I wasn't prepared for how much it would upset me. I know quite a lot about the Holocaust as I studied it at school and then read 'If This is a Man' by Primo Levi as a case study at uni*. However, each time I'm reminded of the scale of it I'm upset all over again. How is it possible to deal with having something like the Holocaust as part of your family history? In my ancestry there are deaths at war, babies dying of diseases which are now curable, my great-great grandmother was run over by a train and one of her sons died in a pit accident. Their deaths were tragic but they weren't caused by an unfeeling machine of destruction driven by greed and prejudice. Although I'm of English, Church of England heritage I do have a personal link with the Holocaust. In 1944 my maternal Grandfather was sent to Germany as part of the Allied Liberation Forces. He had been conscripted to the Royal Artillery early in WWII but was not considered fit to be sent abroad as he had flat feet. As a result his war was spent operating an anti aircraft gun in near Devon. After the war had ended he was sent to Germany to help undertake tasks such as searching people's houses for hidden weapons. My grandad was a gentle, kind, caring man with a gift for entertaining children. He must have hated every moment. At one point he was sent to a town near one of the Nazi extermination camps. We aren't sure which one and we don't know what he did there. All my Mum remembers him saying was that he could smell burnt flesh in the town but the townsfolk were in complete denial. He never spoke about it other than that. After the war he didn't request his medals.
Everyone's family has it's stories. At work we have an 18 year old student from Darfur. His father was killed in the fighting and his mother is missing. He came to the UK speaking no English and one year later spoke to Parliament about the plight of people living in Darfur. We need to remember that genocide is still taking place. Just because it is now happening to people who aren't in the same continent as us, don't share the same skin colour and aren't well off it doesn't mean we should make a stand against it.
Above all we should be thankful for what we have. As Jerry Springer said in the show, the most important thing is being part of a family. I don't think it matters whether it is a blood family or a Bridget Jones style 'urban family'. My family is wonderful and I love them dearly. When I look back at my ancestors I hope they were as content as I am.
* Which was distressing but more interesting than the history of the Ford motor company which some of my friends were forced to read for the same assignment.
